I find it fascinating that if indeed the CIA did abduct Iranian Nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri, what were they thinking? There are varying reports that the CIA paid Amiri $5 million for the information he provided, however the money is frozen in an account. One U.S. official said:

Quote:"We've got the information and the money," one official said."Not a bad deal."

Amiri claimed that he was abducted in the Saudi holy city of Medina and brought to the U.S. He also claims that Israeli agents were present during the interrogations and that the CIA offered him $50 million to remain in the U.S.

What could the CIA benefit from this? Reports are that Amiri provided little to no information. Is Amiri credible in some of the information he is giving? Could it be that he's a turncoat and he only came out against the CIA because they didn't give him the money they promised him?

Whatever the case may be, Iran is expected to make this a major propaganda scandal.

I guess the key question for me is: what would make someone who had left Iran (whether willingly or kidnapped - and I suspect the former) return there? My suspicion is that he had loved ones - children and wife - who were being threatened and that message had, somehow, been communicated. The Iranians will easily be able to find out what information he had access to and will have to assume that he parted with whatever information he had.

As to the rumours of money being paid, I tend not to believe this; why release/reveal this info after he had gone back? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If anything, it only serves to endanger his life.

My personal feeling: he is going to end his days dangling from a crane in the grounds of Evin prison.

If his story was true, I have a hard time believing he wouldn't just "disappear" somewhere out in the desert southwest. Either that or Obama has allowed the CIA major embarrassment. What would Mossad do?

Quoting futurepilot16 (Thread starter):I find it fascinating that if indeed the CIA did abduct Iranian Nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri, what were they thinking? There are varying reports that the CIA paid Amiri $5 million for the information he provided, however the money is frozen in an account. One U.S. official said:

Why does this surprise anyone, this is what agencies like the CIA do?

Quoting N1120A (Reply 5):Or Savak? Or any other terrorist agency posing as government intelligence?

Oh, to wish for a world, that was so black and white? Why can't we just all hold hands, and just send Iran a nice little pen pal letter, and ask them if they will give us details about their secret nuclear programs, we could even get together and have tea, and talk about American Idol?

Quoting mham001 (Reply 4):If his story was true, I have a hard time believing he wouldn't just "disappear" somewhere out in the desert southwest.

It's more likely that he initially defected for money. The word on the street probably got around to him that his family was in danger, and the CIA helped him cook up the story so the Iranian regime would leave his family alone.

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 7):Quoting kaitak (Reply 1):
I guess the key question for me is: what would make someone who had left Iran (whether willingly or kidnapped - and I suspect the former) return there?

Why do you return to your country, could it be that he is proud of his country, loves living there and has his life there?

I think I phrased that badly; what I meant to say was that, knowing he was likely to be under suspicion for selling (or otherwise parting with) Iranian nuclear secrets, why would he go back?

I'll be going back to Ireland next month, but I haven't released any of our nuclear secrets!